Notice to the Hamilton County Commissioners: Enough with the levies. When you authorize others to dip into our funds, as property owners, we seniors/disabled must juggle our budgets to meet our needs and survive.

We don't have anyone to tap into when our expenses increase or for property improvements. We sacrifice wants for needs. It's called "make due with what you got." At what point do you put a cap on sucking property owners/taxpayers and realize that each time you allow levy increases property owners are cringing at the thought of their next county tax bill. Ugh!

Sami Smith, Madiera

Indy's mass transit is way better than Cincy's

I beg to differ with Ronald Hischak, whose letter on mass transit in Indianapolis states that Indy does not have a better public transportation than Cincinnati. My son, who lives in Indianapolis and does not drive, takes a public bus every day from his apartment in downtown Indy out to his job in the suburbs northwest of the city. He also takes the bus all over the city on weekends to run errands and do his shopping. His bus pass costs him only $60 a month. He couldn't do that in Cincinnati. Indianapolis also has a vibrant downtown with grocery stores, a scenic, walkable canal, parks, rental bike, and electric cars that can be rented for short-term use.

Ann Hagerstrand, Sycamore Township

Birth control, sex education would reduce abortions, child neglect

Regarding Terry Sexton Segerberg's column about neglected children ("No child deserves to live as less important than the next drink or pill," Jan. 20) In this fairly lengthy column, there is one small paragraph with a tentative suggestion that "Perhaps there needs to be a lot more work done providing birth control..." You think?

The majority of organizations and individuals that oppose abortion also oppose birth control. They oppose sex education in schools unless it recommends abstinence. They oppose medical insurance providing birth control. However, the major reason for abortions, and for the neglected and abused children, as Segerberg so movingly describes is lack of adequate birth control.

If our society promoted and provided birth control for all, I feel sure we would see a drastic decline in both abortions and neglected and abused children.

Judith R. Morress, Oakley

Do whatever it takes to fix opioid abuse

I lost a step-grandson and two friends lost their sons to opiates within the last year. It is urgent. Newtown Police Chief is absolutely correct in his Jan. 24 column, "Chief: Let us force addicts into treatment ."

What is it going to take for this country to realize that if we don’t step up with whatever it takes -- and it does take money to provide rehab facilities, counselors, meds, clean needles, education to every segment of the community -- then we lose thousands more and it could be your son, daughter, grandson, friend.

These aren’t criminals or lowlifes. They are our kids, friends, neighbors -- good people who have become addicted -- often through no fault of their own. We need to treat them with compassion and give help, not incriminations. If you have any doubt that some large pharmaceutical companies need to accept blame and step up with some of the astronomical profits they made on this epidemic, read "Dreamland" by Sam Quinones.

The other issue we need to address is urging Ohio to apply for a waiver for the “16-bed rule” put in place by CMS (Federal Medicaid Rule makers). It was written in the '70s before the crack or opiate epidemics hit our country and allows only 16 beds in any IMD (the institution for mental diseases) facilities accepting Medicaid, and substance abuse are included under this designation. We have a huge need for more beds to provide residential care for opiate addicts. The federal government invited states to apply for a waiver and almost guaranteed an acceptance -- so why didn’t Ohio apply? We need to urge legislators and the governor to do this as soon as possible. Now is the time to act; we can no longer just talk.

Susan Noonan, West Chester

How did JFS allow kids to return to abusive home?

I felt a lot of emotions when I read the story on Andrea Bradley's 2-year-old daughter, Glenara. My heart goes out to that poor little girl who apparently lived her short life in pain and physical abuse. I also have a small amount of compassion for her mother because clearly she was not fit to be a mother, much less one who had six children.

But what really got to me was the last paragraph. JFS and a juvenile court magistrate allowed those children to be placed back into Andrea's care and home. What in the world were they thinking? Who in their right mind after seeing the history on Andrea would think she could handle six children. One of them visited the home three weeks before Glenara's death. Based on the description of the child at the time of her death how could someone go into that home and not see there was a problem? I have read all the stories on how understaffed and overworked JFS is, but it is beyond comprehension on how they could have handled this case the way they did.